What We Learned From the Oculus Live Event

The Oculus Special Live Event is over and we learned a lot of new things about the hardware, bundles, and software. So what did we learn from this special live event? First of all, we will get the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset in Q1 2016, at least that is the schedule.

There are a lot of users out there that already wear glasses and putting a VR headset on top of those is an absolute must. The Oculus does this flawlessly and even comes with built-in headphones. Not to worry if you’d rather use your own ones, you can just detach the included.

Included is also a Xbox One wireless controller and the motion tracker that you place on your desk – everything you need to get started with your very own virtual reality experience.

While some people might wonder a bit about the inclusion of a Xbox One controller, it does have a reason. Oculus worked closely with Microsoft, among others, to be able to provide you with the best gaming experience. Including a controller with the Rift gives developers a unified platform with controls that they know every Rift owner has.

At the same time, they made sure that the Oculus Rift will work perfectly with DirectX 12 when it comes out together with Windows 10 very soon.

The headset is light enough to easily hold with one hand, and it looked really light during the presentation. The way it was held and moved around. But we will have to wait until later to get an exact weight of the headset. It is without a doubt a big improvement on the developers kits that have been released up until now.

The in-VR interface allows you to navigate without taking the headset off. Buy new games, browse your collection, or stalk your friends – all from inside the headset.

New was the reveal of the Oculus Touch, codenamed Halfmoon. The Oculus Touch is actually two controllers, one for each hand. They include motion tracking as well as traditional buttons and analog sticks as you’re used to from your normal controller. This allows a completely new interaction with your game. Move your hands and get feedback too. This looks awesome.

We sadly didn’t get any price yet, but I’m sure that will follow soon. The release date is set for Q1 2016 which could mean anything from CES to any other date in that quarter.

Users will be able to test the new Rift hands on during the upcoming E3 event where it will be demonstrated with everything that is available. Games and hardware, and it can be experienced. I think VR is something no one really understands until they’ve tried it. I’m sure that Oculus will release more details during that event, and we’ll make sure to keep you updated as it emerges.